


Page 23

by LezG33k, ScatteredStories



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-04
Updated: 2017-04-05
Packaged: 2018-10-14 19:02:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10542609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LezG33k/pseuds/LezG33k, https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScatteredStories/pseuds/ScatteredStories
Summary: What if Emma Swan hadn't been arrested and sent to prison to have her son? What if she'd somehow escaped that cruel fate and used her wits to keep them both safe? What if, then, she found her way to Storybrooke?This is the tale of what might have been. What might have happened if Emma met Regina as a wide-eyed teenager desperate to keep her child safe. It's also the story of an Evil Queen who meets a girl just trying to do her best in a world where all the odds are stacked against her.





	1. A Different Path for Emma Swan

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note: This story will be told from two perspectives. I will be writing the scenes from Emma's perspective and ScatteredStories will take on the role of Regina. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we've enjoyed writing it.

The cough, sputter, and putter of the yellow Volkswagen filled the air of the quiet and secluded road leading to Storybrooke. Emma Swan didn’t know that’s where she was going, though. About the only thing Emma knew was that the cough and putter of sound of the car was normal but the sputter was new. And new additions to the old Bug normally did mean a magical upgrade by a good Samaritan had been performed while she slept.

Furthermore, she had no idea where she was or how to get back to the highway. She’d stopped off to get a better blanket for her co-pilot, because the chill in the fall air was increasing, and then she’d gotten some suspicious looks from a patrol car outside of the store so she kept weaving in and out of streets to try to ensure she wouldn’t be followed. She’d succeeded in eluding the police but she’d failed at keeping track of each turn.

A whimper from her constant companion alerted her to his consciousness and she spoke in soothing tones.

“Hey, it’s ok little buddy, don’t worry,” a strong arm reached over to rub the baby’s belly and then allowed him to wrap is hand around her index finger. “We’re going to be just fine. I’ve gotten out of way worse scrapes than this.”

And she had.

She’d gotten away from Neal, for one. After a while, the quirky charms of the man started to fade and his severe lack of responsibility was enough to stir the rumblings of even Emma’s inner warning bells. He was never going to be the one person she could truly count on and she wasn’t about to play the part of the stalwart companion to a man old enough to know that he was taking advantage of the situation. Neal made her feel as if she’d always live life on edge and worried.

His progeny, however, made her feel like she was in complete control. That somehow, just by his existence, Emma would always find her way. A way to protect him, keep him safe and find a real life in a real home. 

One that didn’t sputter.

It was only when they reached the welcome sign, for a town called Storybrooke, that the sputter finally stopped and her instincts told her that it was going to be a long night.

“Crap,” she cursed as the baby cooed.

She couldn’t actually see the town and she didn’t know how far away it was. It would be much better to walk in the day time, when it was at least a little warmer, than to take chubby cheeks out in the chilly night air. She made a judgment call and pulled the little bundle of hope into her arms, covering them both up with the new blanket. 

“Ok, kid, it’s gonna be a long night,” she explained with an expression much happier than her own internal sense of safety. “You wanna hear a story?”

The bubbles he blew served has an affirmative response in the blonde’s mind and she started to vividly jump into one of her favorite tales of adventure as a way to comfort them both.

“A few years ago, in a super white suburb somewhere on the west coast, there lived a group of friends call ‘The Goonies’…”

She’d fallen asleep just as our heroes reached the pirate ship of One Eyed Willy. That was why she didn’t notice the sound of the police cruiser pulling up alongside the car. Sheriff Graham stepped out and studied the peculiar site before him. It wasn’t often he found anything on his nightly patrols but it was even less frequent that what he found included a woman and a child sleeping in a car old enough to be an antique. With a sigh, he tapped gently on the window and startled the blonde awake.

“Are you alright, miss? Is the baby ok?”

His eyes were kind and concerned as he looked in on them. Emma didn’t feel threatened at all and that was rare for her around cops.

“Yeah, sorry,” she answered, rolling the window down. “The car broke down and I didn’t want to walk to town in the dark. We’ll leave as soon as I get it fixed. I promise.”

“No, no,” he reassured her. “It’s alright. The car is fine here. But how about I drive you into town and get you to the inn so you and the child are safe and warm.”

“I um…” Emma stammered. She knew she was in trouble. Ditching on a hotel room was a lot easier when you had a car to escape in and she certainly didn’t have the money to pay for it.

Noting the worry on her face, Graham knew right away where it came from.

“Oh, we have a fund at the station, for travelers who get stuck,” he lied, not very convincingly. “It’s well within the sheriff’s budget to set you up at Granny’s for the night. Then we can see about finding someone to fix your car.”

How funny that it was a lie that caused her to trust him. Only really good people lied in order to do nice things for total strangers. That’s why she left the car and found herself driven deeper into town.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The sound of Ruby and Granny fawning over a new baby was complimented by the clank and scrape of Emma’s knife and fork on her plate as she greedily ate the hot meal she’d been offered. That’s what Regina Mills heard in the background as Graham made a call his heart forced him into, while his head screamed to stay quiet.

“There’s a new girl in town,” he spoke softly so Emma wouldn’t hear. “I’ve got her here at Granny’s. Her and a baby. Thought you might want to check in on them in the morning.”

His head fell as he spoke the words, remembering what happened the last time a parent and his boy had happened upon the town. Graham hoped against hope that Emma Swan did not meet that same fate.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written by ScatteredStories

The pointed silver tip of Regina's favorite fountain pen dragged smoothly across the paper from the top left corner and down to the lower right, finishing off an elegant X on the marked box of the miniature calendar that she kept in the locked drawer of her desk. Regina watched the glossy ink begin to seep into the paper as she sucked in and released a heavy sigh; eyes scanning through all the other X's that came before that day.

October 22nd.

It was the anniversary of their arrival in this land.

To everyone else, it was merely the towns 52nd Founding Anniversary but Regina knew the truth, counted and marked off every day day that passed since she woke up in her new bed, her new life.

The ever-present dull white noise in her mind decreased as she stood from her desk to settle by the large window of her office, taking a seat on the windowsill and staring out towards the street where she could see several of her subj-- citizens milling about. The day was just like any other day, gray and dull and bland, just as she had designed it. Rain clouds loomed above but never truly let the water pour. Like an eternal gloomy evening. The kind of weather that Snow White and the rest of her band of idiots hated. 

"Nineteen years of watching their misery?" She mused to herself before making her way to the small bar and pouring a glass of cider.

She returned to the window just in time to see Snow White walking across her sidewalk. The pale haired brat automatically drew the Mayor's attention and Regina watched the woman walk clumsily with arms full and carrying one too many rolled up canvasses. As designed by her curse and inspired by a theory she had read from one of Rumplestiltskin's books, whatever could happen will happen and when it comes to Snow White, whatever bad thing that could happen, would.

A few steps later, Snow stepped into one of Pongo's more generous 'gifts', slipping and dropping every drawing in her hands. Seeing it made Regina laugh, a sound she had grown unfamiliar with through the years and yet it was short and unfulfilled, only long enough to fill up the quiet space around her for a few seconds. Watching Snow White's eternal misery was beginning to lose it's entertainment factor and she couldn't help but blame that boy and her idiot father, because it was that tiny boy that had exposed Regina to what the gaping hole was, what Rumplestiltskin and Maleficent had warned her about all those years ago.

A loud solitary beep sounded off behind her and pulled Regina from her thoughts, "Mayor Mills?"

Letting out a breath, Regina walked back to her desk with one final glance at Snow and her shit-stained slacks before digging her index finger into the rubber button of the intercom, "Yes?"

 

"Sidney Glass just called, the committee has closed the elections. You are running unopposed again. Congratulations, Mayor."

 

The news didn't come as a surprise to Regina, in fact, it wasn't news at all. She had been running unopposed since she was 'elected' mayor all those years ago. 

"Thank you, please tell Mister Glass that I'm not interested in another pointless interview." She answered before releasing the button. 

Too many of their newspaper articles featured the Mayor and although everyone is designed to overlook such patterns, Regina wanted to make sure that the curse stayed safely in place for as long as possible, hence the removal of all election results from the papers and the destruction of every newspaper copy that was over a week old.

The rest of the day went by in a blur as it always had for the mayor; signing Leroy's arrest warrant and release for, budget approvals, and a light dinner were staples of Regina's day. By 10 o'clock, as per her strictly followed routine, Regina was just rubbing moisturizer on her legs when she feels it.

Magic.

Strong magic.

Strong enough to resonate from it's source all the way to Regina's home.

Hurriedly, Regina threw the blankets and moisturizer to the ground and practically ran to the window, immediately noticing the subtle shimmering wave hanging over the town. A wave that had come from the border.

"What the hell is going on?" Without wasting another moment, Regina grabbed her coat and keys, and drove her Mercedes towards the town line as quickly as possible. Just before she reached it she parked her car off-road, knowing the border was part of Graham's patrol route. She walked a mile or so before reaching her destination, spotting the horrendous yellow bug parked by the side of the road from behind some large ferns.

She spotted the woman inside, talking to herself.

'That's what made it through the barrier? A woman driving a rusted piece of junk?' Regina thought to herself as she watched the woman bounce something in her arms gently, a child. Something warm and deep and maternal aches inside the hollowed walls of Regina's chest as her eyes narrow, wandering to the rounded cheeks and a fat arm that was visible through the tintless window of the bug. Stunned and awestruck, Regina could only watch from afar as the baby's movements become less and less frequent until it was obvious that it had fallen asleep. She considered the obvious, not willing to waste any more time like she did the last child to wander across the town line.

Kill the mother.

Take the child.

Regina had barely taken a single step toward the bug when Graham arrived at the scene, flashing red and blue and white at the woman who simply failed to notice him until he was tapping against the window. Foiled before she could even put her plan to action, Regina huffed and made her way to her car. She headed straight to her vault where she retrieved the Sheriff's glowing heart.

She had a plan now. She had a target. Whoever this woman and her child were, wherever they came from, and however they got past the protection spell around the town, they were the key to filling the void in her heart. Well, just the child. She just needed to figure out a way to separate him from his mother; and she knew exactly where to start. Her fingers gripped the heart tightly as she lifted it to her lips so she could command it, command it's owner, command Graham. "Tell me where you took them."

Mere seconds later, her phone started to ring.

The next morning, Regina found herself at her usual seat at Granny's Diner with a basket of freshly picked Honey-crisp apples on the seat beside her and a building, anxious excitement at the mere thought of meeting this child that seemed to have heartless widow Lucas around his fingers.

"It's not common to get visitors in our town, it's why they cause such a buzz," Ruby mused as she poured Regina a hot cup of coffee. "The baby is adorable, you'll love him. I mean Granny loves him and Granny doesn't love anyone. I think it's because we haven't had babies here in a long time." Then the waitress paused, her brows furrowing at the derailed tracks that her train of thought was barreling through. "Come to think of it, I don't remember any babies since--" 

"Don't you have other customers you need to attend to, Miss Lucas?" Regina interrupted, nodding toward Doctor Whale who sat alone at one end of the bar. With that, the eccentric woman nodded once before moving to him.

Just as Regina sipped at her coffee, there was the sudden sound of a child's gentle peel of laughter and every inch of her being zeroed in on the sound as her gaze drew to the left where she spotted him and the famed Emma Swan walking into the diner. She stood abruptly and approached the woman who seemed both startled and intimidated by her sudden appearance. 

"Hello, I'm Regina Mills: the Mayor of Storybrooke," she said politely, smiling as she offered a hand. "Sheriff Graham told me about your situation, I hope you and..."Regina took a moment to smile genuinely at the boy, ".. your son..." she said before returning her gaze to the blonde, registering the brilliant shade of forest in her eyes, knocking her speechless for a moment before she could continue, "I hope you both slept well?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Emma written by LezG33k, Regina written by ScatteredStories

There was something scary about her, though there shouldn't have been. It was the exact opposite feeling she got from Graham. Where there was comfort in his lie, there was something haunting about the Mayor's honest smile. 

"We did," she confirmed their sleep was restful before taking the firm grip in her own and noting Regina's attention toward the baby. "I'm Emma. Emma Swan. After my car broke down last night the sheriff was nice enough to help me out." 

Green eyes studied the beautiful woman before her. There wasn't a chip on the nail polish, a hair out of place or even the hint of a smudge on her lipstick. Regina Mills was the most put together person Emma had ever met. So very different from the blonde vagabond. Hell, she even walked around with fresh picked apples, no doubt from her perfect garden in her perfect back yard attached to her perfect home. 

Not to mention how good she was with the baby in her arms. He was responding to her with glee. Regina was probably the kind of mother that he deserved. The kind that would never get into car trouble in the middle of the night. The kind that would pack him healthy lunches when he got older. The kind that would never have to run away from the police. 

But she might not love him the way Emma did. She wouldn't understand giving up meals to buy diapers or not being able to fall asleep if he wasn't there breathing on her chest. Emma Swan might not have been the perfect mother to the little guy but she would do anything to ensure he knew he was safe, happy and loved.

"You're pretty good with him," she noted as her hand pulled away. “Do you have children?”

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Regina returned the answer to her question with a smile, one reserved for whenever Regina was doing mayoral duties and she had to look like she cared. 

"Well, I'm glad. Sheriff Graham is well liked by our citizens because of his kindness. It's lucky he found you when he did," she said with only an ounce sincerity because had Graham not interrupted, Regina would have a child by now. 

"May I?" She added and, without waiting for Miss Swan to reply, lifted the child into her arms, bouncing lightly on her knees. "Well hello there, sweetie." She cooed with her first genuine smile in years. 

The child had the brightest brown eyes Regina had ever seen and his smile was beautiful, so beautiful that it warmed the crevices of the Mayor's chest.

"You are such a beautiful boy, aren't you?" Her ministrations made the child laugh gleefully, making Regina smile even more brightly as she memorized every inch of him. 

Then they were interrupted by Miss Swan. The smile on her lips faded somewhat as she cradled the child in her arms. The blonde's question brought back so many of the memories she would have rather kept away and Regina couldn't help the anger that started to simmer under her skin. 

Still, she had to be civil, so she cleared her throat and answered, "No, I don't. Unfortunately, I /can't/ have children." 

The confession went past her lips before she could stop it and Regina berated herself for allowing that information into the hands of a complete stranger. Only Graham knew of her condition and even then it was only for her sexual benefits and it took years to work up the trust to tell him. But now, with Miss Swan, it had taken all of 3 minutes. 

Feeling suddenly exposed, Regina reluctantly and gently returned the child to his mother before stepping back and placing a hand on the basket handle, "Anyway, these are for you. I will send for another gift solely for..." she pauses, hand hanging in midair towards the boy, realizing that she did not know the baby's name, "... what /is/ his name? If you don't mind."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Emma written by LezG33k, Regina Written by ScatteredStories

Regina must have thought that being Mayor meant she owned everything in town including the right to simply pluck a baby out of his mother's arms. Green eyes widened at the audacity of the action but Emma didn't protest. In fact, she got a very distinct feeling that the little guy was safer with Regina than he would be with most people. She had only ever felt this way about professionals that held him; people like doctors or nurses. Not a woman she'd just met in a diner and certainly not someone that came off somewhat sinister upon first meeting. 

Something else she didn't expect was for Regina to open up so easily about a very private matter. She seemed so natural with the baby in her arms that it was impossibly sad that she was not able to bear children on her own. The blonde felt a twinge of pain and sympathy for the Mayor that consumed her thoughts so much that she almost missed the request for the baby's name. 

Which was a problem. 

"Oh, his name," she stalled as she took him back into her arms. "Well, um, you know it's funny I thought of so many names when I was..." (Escaping the hospital without paying.) "...lying there in the hospital and the one that really seemed to stick was..." (Think Emma! Think) "Shrek." 

Emma's own mouth dropped at the stupidity of the word that came out of her mouth. She didn't say John, Paul, George or even Ringo. She just told the gorgeous, completely put together and powerful Mayor of the new town in which she was staying, for free, that her son was named after a big, green, fictional ogre. And Regina's face seemed equally as stunned.

"Well, it's just that he..." she sighed as she realized she wasn't getting out of this easy and she might as well tell the truth. "The truth is he doesn't have a name yet. Nothing I've thought of has felt right. I call him a lot of stuff: buddy, pal, kid. And sometimes I call him Shrek because all he really does is eat and burp and scream." 

She looked down and shook her head, somewhat ashamed of an admission that hadn't seemed so important before she was before someone so regal. Regina probably had a dozen names already picked out for her non-existent babies. 

"It'll happen though," she said it more to the brown eyed baby than Regina. "It'll come to me."

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

An unplanned child, of course. It should have been obvious the first time Regina saw them. Stranded at night without a man anywhere nearby, no money, and, in the baby's case, no identity. The Mayor guffawed at the first name that Miss Swan had uttered, and she was sure her jaw had dropped to her knees, because who in their right mind would name a child as beautiful as this one, Shrek? In the old land, the only man in existence named Shrek was a fat scoundrel who had lost himself to the drink. He lived in the forest and slept against a fallen tree and rolled around in moss until he was nearly covered in the disgusting green growth; growling and roaring at anyone unlucky enough to pass by. 

Still, the sudden and ridiculous answer makes the corner of Regina lips curl up like she had just tasted something disgusting.

"Yes, choosing a name for a child /is/ quite the responsibility. So I'm sure you agree when I say that I hope 'Shrek' doesn't stick." She mused as she locked her hands together in front of her. "And when a name does 'come to you', I hope it's not anything from a cereal box." 

This had to be different than how she handled the father-and-son. This, Emma Swan, seemed suspicious enough that Regina was sure she was hiding something more behind her stories and attractive smiles. It was immediately very obvious that she had no money and from the mess she saw just from outside the yellow bug, it looked liked she lived in it but that wasn't everything. There was something else she didn’t want found out and if this secret was bad enough, Regina could use it to get Miss Swan out of town and still keep the child. 

"Anyway, if you think of a name for him during your stay in Storybrooke, my office would be happy to provide a birth certificate and to update your record," She smiled then lifted a hand as if just remembering something, "By the way, how long are you planning to stay with us? You know, so I can approve a budget for your stay. Sheriff Graham told me that you might be in need of some.... assistance. I hope that was alright?"

 

Regina had actually taken the Shrek thing a lot better than Emma had anticipated. Maybe she wasn't so bad after all. But then came the uncomfortable part of their conversation. Unavoidable as it was, Emma was in Storybrooke on the town dime and she couldn't leave until her car was fixed. She was literally beholden to Regina so her sad state of affairs had to be addressed whether she liked it or not.

It could have been addressed in private though. She could feel Ruby and Granny eyeing her with sympathy and concern; and people feeling sorry for her was the last thing she wanted. She'd always made it through life with her head held high. A part of Emma wondered if Regina had instigated the conversation so publicly on purpose. It was in the saccharine sweet way she apologized for bringing it up but obviously didn't mean it. Either way, it didn't matter. With a shake of her head and a humble smile, the vagrant looked back up at the Mayor. 

"First of all, thank you for helping me out like this. I know that I'm not an actual citizen of Storybrooke and that this kind of thing is only extended as a matter of choice. Your choice. I know that you don't have to help me and I'm very grateful that you're willing to," she swallowed thickly and looked out at the car. "As far as my stay goes, that will depend on the car. I need to get it fixed and to do that I'll need money. I was hoping that maybe I could find something in town. Maybe help out at Granny's or even the police station. Whatever I have to do, I'll do. I don't want to be a burden." 

But that was exactly what she felt like. What she'd always felt like in the foster homes. Like this unwanted addition to desperate people. They didn't want her. They wanted the money that came with her. This was even worse. The people of Storybrooke were being kind to her out of the goodness of their hearts. And they had no idea the things she'd done in the past to survive. The shame of it all pulled her gaze from Regina as it latched on to Henry. At least she wasn't a burden to him. And, with that thought, her smile came back a bit.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Regina listened attentively to everything Emma said, hoping to get a reaction or any sort of information from the blonde. What she got though was something she had not expected. Instead of leeching off of the town fund, Emma had offered to work for money to pay for her car and her stay. Although the Mayor knew no job would pay such an amount in a month's work, it meant a longer stay for Miss Swan and the baby. Something Regina could not definitively call either a good or a bad thing. 

Yes, she could possibly have more time with the child if she played nice with Miss Swan but at the same time, it meant that the blonde had more time to incorporate herself into the lives of the people of Storybrooke. Which meant simply killing Miss Swan and burying her corpse in the forest was out of the picture. Another advantage though would be more time to learn about the woman and her secrets as well time to figure out how she could have driven straight through the barrier and into town. Perhaps something in her old books would help identify such a phenomenon. 

Regina learned something from Emma's offer and that was that Miss Swan was used to working for her place. Perhaps she had strict parents who demanded perfection? Or maybe she had grown up working for everything? Whatever it was, it was obvious in the way her shoulders dropped as she told Regina that she didn't want to be a burden. It was blatantly obvious that she was raised to think of her own existence as a bother. 

"I have a list of openings that pay well and, with your child, I imagine a flexible schedule being the top priority. If you want, I can help you find something. Drop by my office by 5 this afternoon so we can talk about job vacancies. I'm sure Granny and Graham would have you but it doesn't hurt to look at other options, especially ones that pay well. Wouldn't you say so?"

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

"Yes," she nodded, looking up once more. "I would say so. Thank you so much. This really means a lot to me." 

Maybe her initial feelings were wrong. Maybe she was just so used to being disappointed in people that she was starting to see the worst when the worst wasn't even really there. That's not who she was. Not really. Emma liked having hope. She liked believing that the good guys do always save the day. And she wanted to believe that now with Regina. She was certainly coming in like a white knight on a trusty steed offering to save both Emma and her baby. So, she would take the woman at face value. 

Emma Swan would believe in Regina Mills. 

And then, maybe, she could offer something to Regina in return. Something no one else could.

"I'll be by your office at five sharp," she answered confidently before taking the gifted apple basket in her hand. "Right now I need to catch up with the town mechanic and see if he can tow my car and take a look at it. It was really nice meeting you, Ms. Mills." 

She waited for the Mayor to take her leave and walked up the steps to her room with the baby and the apples. She needed to put 'Shrek' down for a nap and call the mechanic with the number Ruby had given her.

"Look at that, squirt," she spoke to him with a smirk as she laid him down on the bed between the pillows. "We're now friends with the most powerful woman in town. She simply couldn't resist our Swan charms." 

He babbled for a bit before she put the pacifier in his mouth, soothing him and lulling him into slumber. Emma grabbed one of the apples from the basket and took a huge bite out of it while rummaging through her pockets for the mechanic's number. The juices flooding her mouth and the crisp crunch of the fruit were absolutely delicious. Green eyes disappeared behind closed lids as she moaned softly and swallowed the sweetness. Then her eyes opened wide. Her heart started beating faster and faster and, for a few seconds, she couldn't breathe. 

"Oh god." 

...She'd just realized her bag was still downstairs. 

"I'd lose my head if it weren't attached to my neck," the grumbled words fell softly from her lips as she quickly navigated the stairs to grab her belongings; the taste of the Mayor’s fruit still lingering on her tongue.


End file.
